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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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College Football 2008: Big East Preview By Ron Jumper The Big East is very similar to the ACC in that, after West Virginia, not much is certain. When looking at teams like UConn, Cincy, and Pitt, there is much diversity of opinion surrounding those teams this season. Truthfully, I believe this conference is close enough in talent after West Virginia to where any team can get rolling and make noise in Big East play (outside of maybe Syracuse). To be honest, I don’t think a .500 record in the Big East carries that much weight. Does it carry more weight than the MAC or MWC? Yes. Is it even close to the SEC or Big 12? Not even. However, I will say the Big East has ample opportunities to establish more credibility this season in the non-conference. Collectively, they take on Auburn, Colorado, East Carolina, Fresno State, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Virginia. An upset over Auburn here or Oklahoma there, and the Big East will start to make a bigger believer out of me. Now, I know what you are going to say, West Virginia beat Oklahoma last year. However, so did TCU 3 years ago and nothing has really changed much for the Horned Frogs as they were a mediocre 7-5 overall and 4-4 in MWC play last season. The Mountain West as a whole is still nowhere near the level of the BCS conferences. My point is that it takes more than a big win, it is doing it on a yearly basis for at least a few years. It also takes more than one team, as depth from top to bottom really defines a conference. That being said, let’s examine the Big East: -Can West Virginia win a national championship? -Is it finally time for South Florida to make a BCS run? -Will Dave Wannstedt finally win and save his job at Pitt? -What in the world should we expect out of Louisville this season? -Are UConn and Cincinnati ready to bring it again in 2008? -Has Rutgers established themselves as a winning program that just re-loads new pieces into Greg Schiano’s system? 1. Can West Virginia win a national championship? In the words of Terrell Owens, get your popcorn ready on October 23rd when Auburn comes to town. With the rest of the Mountaineer’s schedule being much more friendly (they have both South Florida and Cincinnati at home), the game against the Auburn Tigers could potentially have all kinds of BCS implications. However, before anyone thinks I’m anointing to West Virginia, I have some serious issues with them. People think they will miss Steve Slaton, I don’t but I do think they will really miss FB Owen Schmitt. All of West Virginia’s playmakers are under 200 pounds, they have to have someone to run the ball near the goalline or on 3rd and 1. I know they run the spread but, at some point, all teams have to be able to line up and grind out a couple of yards in critical situations. Also, don’t forget they still aren’t exactly scary on defense. They bring back just 4 starters, so I am just curious what will happen if the offense sputters or someone like Pat White goes down. Obviously, West Virginia can beat anyone but they have question marks just like everyone else. 2. Is it finally time for South Florida to make a BCS run? This is the best chance they have ever had to become a participant in the BCS. However, I still just am not sure it will happen. When it comes down to it, West Virginia has two things going for them against USF: the game is in Morgantown and they have Pat White. I like Matt Grothe and think he is a very solid college quarterback, but I just don’t think he can make the Bulls offense as explosive as they need to be. Also, while they have depth at RB and WR, they don’t have anyone who is a game-breaker that strikes fear into opposing defenses. However, I don’t just want to talk about offenses though, the Bulls defense should once again be very good. It is led by my top NFL prospect George Selvie. Breaking into the national spotlight, Selvie was unstoppable and impacted the game at an insane level for a defensive end. He would literally just take over games and camp in the backfield. The Bulls lost both starting corners (Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams) but they feel confident in the remaining depth that they have in the secondary, especially at safety. Overall, they are a very deep team with few weaknesses so they can hang with anyone. They don’t have a daunting schedule until the finale against West Virginia, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they maintained a high ranking throughout the year and contended for the BCS as either the Big East champ or as an at-large. 3. Will Dave Wannstedt finally win and save his job at Pitt? Basic logic would suggest that with a running back like LaSean McCoy and a top 5 defense returning almost intact, wins would be expected. However, with Wannstedt, nothing is certain. In my opinion, the first order of business is to settle on a quarterback. They have 4 guys who could potentially win the job or play at some point. All they need is to have a game-manager and some continuity from the QB position so that they don’t make as many mistakes as they did last season. They have a very doable schedule with their toughest non-conference games being Iowa, Navy, and Notre Dame. They get West Virginia at home, but have to go to South Florida and Cincinnati. Overall, 8 wins seems to be well within reason but, again, there is no telling with Wannstedt. 4. What in the world should we expect out of Louisville this season? There is truly no way to know what will happen with the Cardinals this season. They have cleaned house by ridding themselves of all the troublemakers. They lost Brian Brohm, Harry Douglas, Mario Urrutia, Gary Barnidge, and Art Carmody. They are bringing in ten JUCO signees. Trying to decipher what this team can do was only more complicated when Steve Kragthorpe didn’t even bother to release a depth chart in the spring. If you think you have this team figured out, you really have no idea. The schedule is full of games that could go either way. This team could go anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4. The non-conference games against Kentucky, Kansas State, and @ Memphis could go either way. The Big East is very open after West Virginia and South Florida, so trying to project which games are for sure wins and losses are tough to project for the Cardinals. 5. Are UConn and Cincinnati ready to bring it again in 2008? UConn has a quite confidence about them that they have never had before. As head coach Randy Edsall says, they finally have a full two-deep going into the season for the first time in his 10 years as head coach. They are adding 20 red-shirt freshmen to the mix. They only lost 6 starters and bring back most of their key players so there is reason for optimism. They remind me a lot of Wake Forest in how they play smart and do more with less. The Bearcats are my personal favorite Big East sleeper this season. They have plenty of playmakers on defense and a great system on offense under head coach Brian Kelly. They have quickly transformed from a physical running team to a spread offense based on speed and timing. I think Kelly is actually getting the best of both worlds right now, as the former regime’s defensive players are providing him with a very tough defense to complement his high-scoring offense. It will be interesting to see how good the Bearcats are defensively in the years to come. As for now, they should be a very complete team that can win against anyone in the Big East. 6. Has Rutgers established themselves as a winning program that just re-loads new pieces into Greg Schiano’s system? They appear ready to be very solid again this season. Will they win the Big East? Not likely, but they should win around 7 or 8 games again. Replacing Ray Rice will be tough but they have depth in place. Schiano will always have tough, physical teams so I don’t see them being bad very often in the years to come. My one concern is the offense because now they have to depend more on the passing game. In the past, the running game opened things up for the passing game. Now, the passing game will be the strength of the offense. If the passing game can make plays all on its own, then Rutgers could be dynamic again on offense. They have an interesting schedule early, with Fresno State and UNC the first two weeks. Those games could go a long way to deciding their season. August 19, 2008 |
| NCAA Football | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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